Unraveled
by foriamnottheone
Summary: Sora enlists in the military to fight against the ever growing Heartless. Between the mental and physical battles, Sora struggles to survive. As secrets are unearthed, Sora realizes he's in serious trouble. Triggers starting in Ch. 3 RikuXSora AxelXRoxas M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** In a world destroyed by the Heartless, Sora enlists in the military to fight the every growing enemy. Between the mental and physical battles, Sora struggles to survive. As secrets are unearthed, Sora realizes he's in serious trouble. RikuXSora AxelXRoxas M for later chapters.

 **Author's Note:** This is actually of a story I wrote in 2014 called Innocence. I decided to go a different direction and start over so I can write it better. Hope you like it!

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Beads of sweat formed on Sora's face. His blue eyes glanced around for a sign of anything. He knew a Heartless was resting in the shadows nearby.

With a quick pivot, Sora threw his Keyblade as hard as he could. A thud echoed through the air. Smiling, Sora walked over to it as the lights turned on in the building. He had managed to hit the fake Heartless in the center of its forehead.

A brunette girl ran up beside him with a pout.

"No fair! How'd you know it was there?"

Sora shrugged with a smirk. Kairi had been trying to beat him for weeks. He wasn't about to let his girlfriend outfight him.

Kairi rolled her eyes as he gave her a light kiss.

"Are you ready for the exam?" Sora asked as he put the Keyblade in its sheath. He was always amazed at how it magically seemed to disappear into the small sheath. The many classes he had been through told him the science behind it, but he still never understood it.

Kairi nodded as she punched her boyfriend in the arm.

"Of course I'm ready. I do just want to beat you, though!"

"That's not going to happen."

Kairi scoffed. She and Sora had been in the top of the class since they both enlisted three years ago.

She stopped and stared at the ground with a frown.

"Sora, when we pass you know they're not going to put us on the same squad."

"So? We'll still get a chance to hang out on our down time."

"What if one of us is on the front lines? The Heartless are still growing in numbers. So many have left while so few have returned."

Sora embraced his girlfriend. She wasn't wrong. It was getting more dangerous. The death count was rising.

"We'll be fine, Kairi. We're the top two in our class. We'll make it," he whispered, hoping he was telling the truth.

No one slept on the night before the exam. Those who failed would have to start over again or drop out. Sora wasn't worried about whether he would pass or not. Kairi's words replayed in his ears. The chances of the top two Keyblade Wielders being put on the same squad was incredibly slim. He tried to not think about it as he finally fell asleep.

Sora woke up to everyone shuffling around, preparing for the exam. Many were practicing with each other and quizzing each other. These were the trainees that managed to pass their written exam a few days prior. Most people could pass the written. It was the practical that worried everyone.

"Good luck," Kairi said as she kissed Sora.

"You too," he said before getting into formation. A trainee next to him was shaking as he repeated the basics of Forms and stances. The instructor, Master Eraqus, began to divide everyone into balanced teams.

"Alright, everyone! This will be your team during the entire exam. Though we will be grading you individually, we will also be grading you on your ability to work as a team. You have thirty minutes to get your squad prepared!" Master Eraqus yelled.

Sora turned to his group of five.

"We're going to need a leader, center, right wing, left wing, and rear. You, what are you best at?" Sora asked as he went around the circle.

"C-Center," one stuttered.

Sora turned to the next and listened to the rest of the team.

"Right."

"Right, but I can try left I guess."

"Leader," said the last one with a cocky attitude. Sora had been in a few classes with this kid and knew he was strong, but his endurance and stances weren't the best. Still, the best way to get through this was without causing any arguments.

"Alright, looks like I'll take the rear. Leader, you're in charge," Sora said. No one liked the rear. It was the position with the worst survival outcomes.

The team talked about the strongest formations suited for everyone.

Thirty minutes flew by and the horn blew. Master Eraqus got on the tall platform.

"Only one on the team can get high rankings! This person will be getting a higher starting rank than the rest of you" he yelled.

Sora turned to his group. He could see the disgusting smirk on the blue-headed leader.

"Walk to your testing building and wait on instructions. Dismissed!"

 _This isn't good,_ Sora thought as they approached their designated door. No one knew they would be promoting one of each team.

A large man walked over and handed them small flags to wrap around their waist.

"If you lose all the flags, you are considered 'dead'. You will not be able to continue your team. While it is possible to still pass, it is rare. I need your names and the positions you will be assuming."

"Isa. Lead, Sir."

"Fuu. Left Wing, Sir."

"Neku. Right Wing, Sir."

"Shiki. Center, Sir."

"Sora. Rear, Sir."

The proctor wrote everything down and opened the door.

"Good luck," he stated as he shut the door behind the team.

The inside was prepared to simulate the nearby forests. The lighting was dim and a lot of ambience could be heard.

Without warning, Isa ran off into the dense trees. The others quickly followed, gaining formation and went into Valor Form. Sora could feel his strength increase dramatically. Though slower, it was the stronger of the two forms. Isa came to a quick stop and prepared his Keyblade. The others did the same. A fake Shadow, the easiest Heartless to defeat, jumped at Sora. Just as Sora was about to kill it, Isa jumped in front of him and finished the job.

"Dude, watch out! I could have hurt you!" Sora said as he withdrew his Keyblade. A real death of a student would mean immediate expulsion.

"I got this," Isa said as he went back to leading the small group to find a leader Heartless. As they progressed, the more Heartless they encountered. Isa had taken care of most of them. As he killed a Soldier Heartless, both of the flags connected to Shiki's belt were yanked off.

Sora immediately destroyed the fake Heartless that had done the job. Unfortunately, it was too late for Shiki.

"Shiki, you are disqualified. Please leave the building."

The girl felt the tears on her face as she started walking back to the entrance.

"Good luck guys," she muttered.

The group of four continued. Another one down. Neku walked away, disappointment covered his face.

Only three left.

"Isa, don't you think we need to reform ourselves into a three man position?"

Isa shrugged and looked at Sora and Fuu.

"Fuu, take right rear. Sora take left rear."

Sora bit his lip as he moved to the left. Isa hadn't even tried to protect the others. He was just trying to make himself look the best.

They finally arrived at an opening. A large black blob was waiting for them. Fuu readied herself.

"Darkball," she whispered.

Isa was already gone.

"Isa! Wait!" Sora yelled and took off after him. Fuu ran beside Sora as they tried to catch up to their leader. Isa jumped, but didn't think the Darkball would disappear. It reappeared behind him and a wave of panic fell over Isa. Sora jumped between them and blocked the attack.

"Back off, Sora! I got this. Just stay out of the way!"

Isa ran from behind him and swung at the black blob. It disappeared again and reappeared behind Fuu. She turned around just in time to see both of her flags get taken off.

"Shit!" Sora yelled in frustration.

Isa ran at the distracted blob and missed again. Sora was growing tired of his only remaining group member.

"Isa. We can't fight it head on. We need it to get distracted!"

"Fine. You distract him!"

Sora grit his teeth, but did as he was told. Someone had to do it. Just as he thought he had the Heartless distracted, Isa ran up beside Sora, knocking him towards the blob.

One flag disappeared.

"What the fuck was that?" Sora yelled. Isa paid no mind to him as he leaped and slashed into the Darkball. It disappeared. Sora reverted out of his Valor Form, feeling the energy leave his body.

The lights turned on as the proctor walked towards them with a frown. A captain walked beside him. His aquamarine eyes pierced the examinees.

"While I congratulate you both on passing, you failed to keep your entire team alive," the proctor stated. He turned to Isa and gave him a small ribbon.

"You will be the one to gain a rank today since you still have your two flags."

Sora could feel the rage burn in him, but said nothing. The captain remained silent, but kept watching the two new soldiers.

"You are free to leave. Squadrons will be assigned tonight after chow. Dismissed."

Isa proudly walked to the exit. Sora followed behind, ready to throw his Keyblade through his body. Just before he left, he turned around to see the narrow aquamarine eyes still watching him. A shiver shot down his spine as he closed the door behind him.

xXxXx

Kairi ran up to Sora after she was done. A red ribbon hung from her chest.

"I wasn't the leader, but I sure kicked some ass!" she exclaimed, showing her ribbon with pride.

Sora cut his eyes away from it.

 _Just shove that thorn deeper into my side, Kairi._

"Where's yours?"

Sora slammed his fist down on the small table.

"Isa took all the credit. Thanks to him, only two of us made it…me and him."

Kairi frowned, but felt the rush of already being promoted.

"It's okay, Sora. Maybe we'll be on the same squad."

"Yeah," he said softly.

xXxXx

Chow passed in an instant. Everyone lined up to see their assigned squads. They found Kairi's first. She had been assigned to a supporting squad in the training grounds. When they found Sora's, Kairi gasped.

"Sora-Captain Riku's Squad."

Fear shot through Sora instantly. Everyone knew Riku's squad was the front lines. He cringed. A rumor had been passed earlier that day. Riku was the only one that came back alive from the last mission.

Kairi hugged her boyfriend.

"Look, you guys still have to train together before going out there. I'm sure you'll figure it out," she said in a hopeful tone.

Sora turned away and walked off to his bed. He knew he would need his sleep for the upcoming morning.

xXxXx

Before the sun emerged for the day, Sora was already waiting at his squad's area. Kairi told him good luck and ran off towards the building she would be training.

A few minutes passed as Isa walked up to him.

"Looks like we'll be on the same squad," Isa muttered as he fiddled with his new insignias.

Another guy and girl walked up before the captain made his appearance. Sora cringed as Riku's familiar eyes glared at the entire team. He stood in silence as he analyzed everyone. Sora couldn't help but stare. He noticed how young Riku looked.

 _He's not more than a couple years older…_

"You," Riku said as he pointed towards Isa, "Do not think you are better than anyone here. If something happens, you will be at fault."

Isa pursed his lips while Sora tried to conceal a grin. He was already feeling happy he didn't get the title.

Riku pulled out a training Keyblade and rushed at the largest male in the group. The soldier froze as Riku held it to his throat.

"Do not ever let your guard down. What's your name?"

"Dilan, Sir," he said with a raised brow.

He turned to the girl.

"Olette, Sir."

"Sora, Sir," he said as Riku turned to him.

Isa repeated his name. Riku withdrew his blade and looked over the entire group.

"This squad is well known for diving into the front lines. Battle practice starts today. There is no telling when they will make us leave, but when they do you all will be prepared," the captain stated as he casually changed into Valor Form. He stopped the group from grabbing training Blades.

"You will need to be familiar with your Keyblades. You will be sparring with those against me.

The rest of the group followed. Energy flowed through Sora's body. He grabbed his Keyblade, ready to go.

Hours passed as the new soldiers failed against Riku.

"Forget all the stances they taught you. Find what is natural for you and you will control your Keyblade better."

Sora relaxed the formal stance and inhaled slowly. He could already feel something different with his Keyblade. As Riku rushed him, he managed to throw a counterattack.

As Riku jumped out of the way in time he chuckled.

"That's it. Never take your eyes off your opponents. Keep your ears open and instincts aware."

Lunch time quickly came. The new soldiers were exhausted. They had never had be in their Form for so long.

"You will not be eating lunch today. The Heartless will not stop attacking just because your belly is empty. There are many times we barely get to eat one meal. Into Wisdom Form," he commanded as he changed into the speeding hover form. His feet left the ground and he charged Olette.

Sora had already changed into Wisdom Form and jumped in front of Olette to block the attack. He knew Olette wasn't strong enough to hold her Forms as long yet.

"Nice reaction, Sora," Riku observed as he threw the Keyblade at an unsuspecting Isa. Dilan threw his Blade and deflected Riku's Blade. Both Keyblades flew back to their owners.

"Good aim, Dilan. Isa...Olette...if you take this long to change on the battlefield, you will die fast."

The squad continued to spar. As dinner time approached, everyone dropped to their knees while Riku put away the training Keyblade. "Isa, what name does your Keyblade have?"

Isa looked down at his blue and silver Keyblade. It was large for a Keyblade. "Leviathan."

Riku turned to Dilan.

Dilan held up his larger Keyblade. Black and red covered it with a gold trim. "Darkgnaw."

Olette blushed. Hers was the thinnest, but allowed her to shoot more magic than the others. "Sign of Innocence."

Sora gripped his black medium-sized Keyblade. "Oblivion." He paused for a second. "What about yours, Sir?"

Riku unsheathed his real Keyblade to reveal a demonic-winged Blade with one light wing as the tooth of the Blade. "Way to the Dawn." He put the Keyblade away with a long stretch.

"You are all dismissed," he said before walking away.

Everyone dragged themselves to the food hall and grabbed a plate of food. Sora saw Kairi sitting with her new squad members and decided to join her.

"Sora! You're disgusting looking. What the hell have you been doing?" Kairi asked.

Sora had already managed to shove half the tray of food in his mouth. "I've been training all day. Captain Riku didn't exactly sugar coat anything except his Keyblade."

Kairi scoffed and continued eating.

"That sucks. We walked around and learned how to patrol the area. Tomorrow we are going to learn the best way to communicate."

Throbbing and stiffness already began to spread through Sora's body.

"That's nice..." he said quietly. Nothing had prepared him for the required endurance. He kissed Kairi goodbye as he left her and her new friends in the food hall. Sora bee-lined to his new quarters that he would be sharing with his squad. He opened the door that had seen better days. Dirt covered the ground with a pile of travel bedding rested by the showers.

 _I should have known._

Sora scrubbed the caked-on dirt. He got out of the cold shower and grabbed one of the thin sheets. Olette, Isa, and Dilan soon followed and did the same. They would have complained if they weren't so exhausted. Forms sucked energy at an extreme rate and none of them had been able to hold their Forms the entire time. As Sora's head hit the ground, he wandered around in dreamland.

xXxXx

"Have a good day!" Kairi exclaimed before rushing away.

Sora frowned as she ran off to her waiting squad. He had gotten no "good morning", "I love you", nor kiss. With a limp, he started toward the training area. He was still exhausted from the day before. Everyone was. Olette could barely stand and Dilan had to help her.

When he got to the meeting spot, Riku was already waiting. Sora had never noticed how toned the male was. Riku looked up, eyes looking straight into Sora's blue ones. Sora had not noticed it the last few times, but he could feel the sense of loss from the gaze.

 _Riku has lost many friends and teammates. Everyone that survives the front lines do._

The captain pulled out a training Keyblade again and started the training immediately. The same training went on for weeks. The group could slowly feel the endurance build as fast as the muscle had.

The third week of training came to an end. The group left to eat their dinner. They had gotten used to not eating as much. Sora waited for Kairi. They had agreed to meet up so they could grab their food together. Kairi waved a hello and they left to get food together. As they sat down, Dilan came running up to Sora with a paper in his hand.

"Sora...we leave tomorrow. First squad." Dilan said with a look of fear.

Sora turned to his girlfriend who returned a horrified look. His hands began to shake until he decided he was going to be unable to finish his meal. He waited for Kairi to finish. Kairi walked out of the building with Sora, finally breaking the silence.

"It'll be okay, Sora. You'll be okay. You've got this, right?" she asked with hopes for confirmation.

He couldn't look at her. "I...I don't know. Riku is the best of the best and we've been doing a lot of training, but we've never had to kill the real thing..."

The two bid their farewells. Kairi kissed him with a look of pain on her eyes. A squad member of hers, Seifer, called to her. She left to go to her sleeping quarters. Sora knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep for a while so he decided to pace. The panic slowly started to settle in his chest, but was interrupted when he could hear yelling from the commander's building. He got closer and realized it was Riku's voice.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SQUAD ONE? THEY'RE JUST KIDS! WE'VE ONLY BEEN TRAINING FOR ONE WEEK."

The commander's voice sounded cool and indifferent.

"Captain, watch your tone when speaking to your commanding officer. You have the most experience and we need you out there. There is nothing to discuss. Dismissed."

Riku slammed the door as he stormed away from it. He caught sight of Sora and stopped.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked.

Sora looked down at his boots and replied, "Yes Sir. I can't sleep right now."

Riku let out a sign and walked up to Sora. He put his hand on the brunet's shoulder.

"Of course not. No one can before being sent on their first mission. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep is what really kills us. Try not to stay up too late," Riku said softly as he walked Sora back to the sleeping quarters.

"Captain, are you ever afraid?"

The captain chuckled. "Everyone is, Sora. I'll let you in on a secret. I'm more afraid of losing my team than my life."

Sora stopped and looked at his captain. The moonlight shone in his silver hair and made his aquamarine eyes seem to glow. Riku continued.

"I do not fear death anymore. It's something you have to learn to accept. All my friends are already dead, Sora. The only people I have left are those on my squad and I will do whatever it takes to keep them alive."

"But...your last squad. What happened?"

Riku stopped and looked away. Sora could feel he hit a forbidden subject. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I...failed as a Captain," he said through grit teeth. "I will not fail again," he stated.

Sora felt the determination in his captain's voice.

"I know you won't," Sora encouraged as he walked into the small building.

Riku stood outside. He gave a faint smile at the kind words before walking away.

"Thank you. I needed that," he whispered to himself.

xXxXx

The next morning came too fast. None of the team had gotten proper sleep. Sora paced in the early morning while waiting for Kairi. As he turned down a narrow path between buildings, Sora froze. There was Kairi making out with the squad mate from the night before. Kairi pushed Seifer off her as she realized Sora standing in front of them.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" he yelled at her.

Seifer gave a smirk and stepped in front of Sora.

"She finally knew that she deserved a smarter guy that can be there for her and not dying on the battlefield."

Sora clenched his fist and charged at Seifer. He shoved the male against the wall ready to knock his face into next year. Dilan grabbed Sora's arm.

"It's not worth it man. Don't waste your energy."

Sora let go of Seifer, who had a surprised expression. The strength Sora had accumulated was higher than he thought. Kairi ran up to Sora as tears streamed down her face.

"Sora...I'm sorry...it's just-"

"Fuck off!" he yelled and walked away with Dilan.

He felt awake and ready to kill anything that got in his way. The rest of the squad came up, fear plastered on their face. When Riku showed up he gave them a small speech.

"Well, I'm sorry it had to be so soon. Remember, we are a team and a family. Keep your instincts in check and Keyblade ready at all times. I don't know how long we'll be out there, so be prepared. Head out," he commanded as he picked up his pack and strapped it to his back. The rest did the same as they headed for the large black metal gate.

It slowly opened into the dense woods that could be their grave in the future. Riku lead the team, Keyblade already in hand. Sora shook all over, but felt worse when he could see the tears coming from Olette. Dilan looked calm on the outside, but his walk was rigid. Isa was the only one other than Riku that seemed okay.

The group walked only a mile in before being met their first small group of Heartless. All of them were small Shadows, but that didn't make them feel any better. They instantly assumed Valor Form and killed off the small group. As soon as all the small enemies were slain, they reverted back to normal to conserve their energy. Riku looked around the group.

"Something's not right...Shadows don't travel alone..." he muttered. The captain turned to the group. "Get back into Valor and be at the ready."

The group did as they were told. Fear flew through them as all they could hear were their panicked breaths. The silence was what gave it away. Riku quickly blocked an attack that was thrown their way.

A bright arrow stuck out of Riku's Keyblade. He looked up as he saw the purple and silver creature emerge from the trees.

"A Sniper!?" he exclaimed. Isa stood beside the captain with confusion covering his face.

"I thought Nobodies were extinct!" he yelled as he deflected another light arrow. Even the captain was unsure of how to react. Olette transformed into Wisdom Form and begin to shoot magic at the fast moving Nobody. A few seconds passed before many smaller, silver Nobodies turned up.

"Dusks," Sora whispered. He barely recalled the name from the many history classes he had to endure.

Sora and Dilan did the same as he ran in the opposite direction. Soon everyone was in their Wisdom Form. They knew it would be almost impossible to get close enough to kill the creature.

The entire squad went into a formation to take the Nobodies down.

xXxXx

"He will do," said a black-cloaked male standing in the shadows. His bright red hair peeked through the large hood. He had been eyeing the average-sized brunet since they had passed their border.

Axel turned his attention to the tall blue-haired man with a smirk. His over confidence would serve as the proper distraction needed for Axel to complete his mission.

xXxXx

Isa could feel the adrenaline running through him as he slashed the Nobodies into nothing. He felt invincible as he noticed the rest of the team hesitated at every move.

Sora noticed Isa become more daring and less cautious. A sick smile had plastered his face when he had taken down four dusks.

"Isa, watch out!" Dilan yelled as he shoved his team mate out of the way. A bullet pierced through Dilan's head as a new Sniper emerged. Sora's eyes widened in shock and fear at his team mate's death. Olette screamed.

Sora saw another Dusk sliding towards Isa. Instincts kicked in as he rushed to knock it away. "Sora!" Riku yelled. The brunet turned just in time to see a flaming chakram fly straight at him. All sound seem to disappear as it sliced through his side like butter. Sora dropped to the ground as blood pooled around him. He could see Riku killing the Nobodies as fast as he could to get to the fallen team.

Sora coughed into his hand. When he pulled it away, he could see the blood in his hands.

 _I'm dying..._ _I'm actually dying..._

Screams filled the air. Sora couldn't tell who it belonged to.

His vision got blurry and dim until he couldn't hold himself up anymore. Riku killed the last Dusk and ran to Sora, holding his hand at Sora's waist.

"Come on, Sora. Don't die on me! Don't go to sleep. Stay with me," he encouraged.

Riku watched as Sora's eyes closed.

"Fuck!" he yelled as he watched the life leave his soldier.

* * *

 **End Note:** Well, that's the first chapter! Hope you liked it and please leave me a review to let me know what you thought! It really does encourage me to write more when I'm in a rut. Oh! So stupid me forgot Kingdom Hearts Unchained X came out and of course I started to play. It's awesome! If you have an iOS or Android, I would highly recommend giving it a shot! It's free guys! I also wanted to know whether you guys would like shorter chapters and faster updates or longer chapters and slower updates. See you next time!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:** In a world destroyed by the Heartless, Sora enlists in the military to fight the every growing enemy. Between the mental and physical battles, Sora struggles to survive. As secrets are unearthed, Sora realizes he's in serious trouble. RikuXSora AxelXRoxas M for later chapters.

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for making it to chapter two! Hope you like it!

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Axel stared down at the blond male in front of him. The new kid was waiting for him when he got back to the Organization's hideout.

"What's your name?" Axel asked, getting no sign of any response from him.

"His name is Roxas. I will need you to take him under your wing, Axel. Teach him about the Organization. I will also need you to train him in combat," said a deep voice that came from a man dressed in a matching black coat.

The red head nodded and walked Roxas to his assigned bedroom. After opening the large white door, Axel led the quiet male into the small room.

"This is where you will sleep. There's not much here, but you won't be in this room much anyway. Are you feeling okay?"

"I don't feel," Roxas said slowly. Axel frowned and knew what he said was true. It would be a long time before he ever felt anything. Highly skilled Nobodies did have the ability to have emotions, but it was so complicated even Axel hadn't completely experienced every one of them.

"It's okay, Roxas. We all go through the same thing at the beginning. You'll probably end up feeling something soon enough. Now, I'm going to show you the rest of the castle," Axel stated as he led the blond back into the hallway.

xXxXx

Sora opened his eyes and felt a rush of pain hit him. He began to gag on the many tubes that had been inserted down his throat. Medics quickly filled the room to remove the large tubes. Sora gasped for air, but soon found it difficult to inhale. His left side flared immediately and panic shot through him.

"It's okay. Relax. Slowly inhale then exhale," a female medic stated. Sora focused on her large pink bow and brown hair to get his mind off the pain.

"You're doing great. Now, can you tell me your name and assigned squad?"

Sora found the balance so he didn't have to inhale as deep.

"Sora. Captain Riku's squad."

"Great! I'm Nurse Aerith. We'll be back after the doctor takes a look at you," she said as she waved before leaving the small room.

 _I'm alive?_

A tall man with bright brown hair entered. A large scar fell across his smiling face.

"Hello, Sora. I'm Dr. Leonhart. Just call me Leon. How are you feeling?" he asked as he took a seat beside Sora's bed.

"I don't understand Dr. I should be dead."

The doctor laughed as he flipped through papers on his clipboard.

"One of your squad managed to seal your cut with fire before you completely bled out. When they got you here, you actually died on us, but then came back. Quite a miracle, Soldier."

"They?" Sora asked. Last he saw his team was getting destroyed one by one.

"I'll let your captain fill you in on those details. How is your pain level?"

Sora nodded as he touched his bandaged side.

"It hurts, but I'll be okay," he said softly.

The doctor performed a series of exams to make sure Sora was on the right path to healing. When he finished, he said goodbye and left the room. Sora had just noticed the yelling that had been going on for a while.

"I LOST MY FUCKING SQUAD BACK THERE! I TOLD YOU WE WERE NOT READY FOR THE HEARTLESS YET. OH, BUT THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE WE DIDN'T REALLY FIGHT MANY HEARTLESS. WE HAD TO FIGHT FUCKING NOBODIES INSTEAD!"

Sora could hear a phone being slammed against the hook. A few seconds later, the captain walked into the room.

"Glad to see you awake, Sora. How are you holding up?"

"I'll be okay, Sir," he stated as he saluted the officer.

Riku stopped him with a chuckle. "Please, don't worry about that here."

Sora nodded as he dropped his right hand from his forehead. He looked down at his lap not sure if he should ask the question or not. Riku could see the expression and knew what he was thinking.

"Isa and Dilan didn't make it. We had to leave their bodies behind. Unfortunately, the Nobodies pursued us very close to the gate."

Sora grabbed the sheets and grit his teeth. "We couldn't even bring them back?"

Riku shook his head. "We couldn't even finish our mission. We never did find the Darkside spotted near the base."

The soldier nodded. He was at a loss for words and fought the tears back at the thoughts of bodies rotting away in the forest.

"So...what happened?" Sora dared.

"Well, I sealed your wound with fire so you wouldn't continue to bleed. Olette led the way as I picked up the rear. She managed to maintain Wisdom Form the entire way here. It only took us a few hours to make it back. Luckily, she only has some scratches and bruises. I'm sure she'll come by later to visit you. Get some rest, Sora. We need you on your feet as soon as possible."

Captain Riku left Sora alone in the room. He knew he would lose members of his squad throughout his time in the military, but still wasn't prepared when it happened in front of his eyes. Doubt began to fill his mind.

 _How am I going to be able to handle this? Why Nobodies? Where did they come from? The chakram wasn't something I had ever seen in the books. Is it some kind of new enemy? What if they come back for me? Will I be ready?_

Aerith walked in and saw Sora's distraught face. She hooked a drug into his IV that would ease his mind. Sora fell asleep almost instantly.

He awoke when the door opened a few hours later. His eyelids felt like lead weights as he tried to open them. Sora could tell it was some time at night, but had no idea the exact time.

"Sora?" came a familiar voice.

"What are you doing here?" Sora asked as bitterness swept through his tone. Kairi sat down on the chair next to his bed.

Bags formed under Sora's blue eyes. The first mission replayed through his dreams on repeat.

"I heard how you were in the hospital after making it back from the mission so I wanted to come see you."

The irritable Sora grit his teeth. Kairi moved to grab his hand, but was met with a shove.

"You have no right coming here."

"Sora, we all heard how Nobodies took out half your team and almost killed you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." she said in a concerned voice.

Sora turned to her with a furrowed brow.

"Why? So you can get all the pity and sympathy from your friends? Get out."

Kairi opened her mouth to say something as Sora summoned his Keyblade and pointed it at his ex-girlfriend.

"I am in pain from the chunk taken out of my side. I am tired from the lack of sleep I am getting. And I am still pissed at you cheating on me. I watched my team die right in front of me while you and everyone else were laughing safe and sound. Get. Out."

Kairi stood and went to the door. She turned one last time.

"Are you sure I'm the one that wants the pity? Man up, Sora. At least Seifer knows how to please a woman right."

Sora threw his Keyblade just to the right of her. She let out a surprised yell before running out of the building. Sora groaned and slammed the side of his fist into the wall.

"Any closer and you might have killed her," Riku said, examining the Oblivion Keyblade.

"I know my Blade."

Sora couldn't even face his captain. Kairi's visit only made him angry and throwing the blade only made his side hurt worse.

Riku sighed and sat next to Sora. He decided it best to let Sora have his quiet. Riku could see the tears fall down Sora's face.

"Wanna talk?" he asked, hoping he was not being invasive. Sora didn't want to trouble his captain, but couldn't hold himself back.

"We were together for years. We knew we wouldn't be on the same squad, so we promised to still be together no matter what. She cheated on me then had the nerve to come in here and wake me up as if everything were okay. And then Isa...Dilan..."

"Sora, it'll be okay. I've learned that you can't trust many people here. If you do, they'll only stab you in the back to make sure they can live a better life. I'm sorry I couldn't protect Isa and Dilan. I've lost count of how many people I've lost out there. The only thing I can tell you is to learn from their mistakes and don't let their deaths be in vain. I wish I could tell you they'll be the last you lose, but chances are they won't. If you're really lucky, you'll save at least one from dying."

Sora looked at the captain and knew he was talking about him.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I haven't thanked you and Olette for saving me," he said softly.

"That's what leaders are supposed to do."

"Captain, how are you at such a high rank already? You're barely older than myself."

Riku sighed. "I've been surviving my whole life, Sora. Even before I joined the military. It's in my blood. I was able to activate Master Form during my training. On the exam, I could use Final Form. That was enough for them to promote me even higher than Isa. After taking down a large Heartless, I got another promotion to Captain. You're part of the third squad I've had. While that may seem crazy, I do not plan on having a fourth squad for a very long time. I think you and Olette are well beyond average."

The captain stood up and patted Sora on the shoulder.

"Get some sleep and don't let that girl bother you like that anymore. If she comes back, let me know and I'll escort her out so they don't drag you away to a cell for murder," he said with a chuckle as he left the room.

Sora stared at the ceiling. Heat had covered his face while watching the officer leave. The captain's muscles had showed through the tight uniform. He knew Riku had done a lot to get them where they were. It wasn't long before he soon found his thoughts wander a bit lower than he liked and instantly shut them off.

"He's my captain," Sora reassured himself as he went to sleep.

Olette had stopped by in the morning to check up on Sora. The captain had a conversation with her too since she was hysterical when arriving back at the base.

"You know, when we first met Captain Riku, I was concerned from all the rumors floating around. Training was ridiculous, but he wanted to make sure we were ready for anything. I have a feeling that we actually got the good pick of the draw, Sora."

Sora laughed and agreed. He looked out the window for a brief moment as Kairi passed by.

"Olette, I think I have a visitor. Would you mind if we continue this later?"

The girl bounced on her feet with a bright smile.

"Of course not! See you later!" she said with a wave. Kairi walked in as Olette walked out.

"I see you have a new girlfriend now," Kairi said, spite in her voice.

Sora lifted a brow in amusement.

"Apparently you didn't take my warning last night," he said as he summoned his Keyblade again.

"You won't do it. You don't even have enough energy to get out of that bed."

"Why are you here, Kairi?" he asked as he began to feel impatient.

Kairi gave a smirk and showed off her new accolades.

"You know, I thought about how you always thought you were better than me. I just wanted to show you that I've been promoted as has Seifer. My squad thought it was a good idea to put your big ego to rest."

Sora laughed. "Good for you, Kairi! I'm glad that you've had nothing better to do than to tell your squad lies about me. You've proved your point Corporal Kairi," he said as he slowly stood from the bed. With a fast transformation into Wisdom Form, he flew behind Kairi with a smirk. His eyes turned gold as he felt power rise through his body.

"However, I need to tell you something, Corporal. I had all morning to think about my brief death. My last thought wasn't of you. You never even crossed my mind out there. I don't think punishment here will be worse than what I've already had to witness and endure out there. Keep this in mind every time you want to stir something up. Go run back to your new boyfriend and leave me alone. You have no idea what I am capable of now," he muttered as he gestured toward the door.

"Monster," she said as she walked out the door.

"Whore!" he yelled as she flew back around and got into his face.

"Is that how you always address a Corporal, Cadet?" Kairi said.

"Corporal, stand down. Harass my soldier again and I'll see to it you are never promoted again," Riku said when Kairi ran into him.

Kairi scoffed and walked out of the building. Sora was still standing when his captain walked in the room.

"Sora," Riku said softly to the dazed Sora. When Sora blinked, his eyes turned back to blue.

"I...I don't know what happened," he replied as he sat down on the bed.

Riku narrowed his eyes as he went up to the soldier.

"May I?" he asked, pointing to Sora's large bandage. Sora nodded as the captain peeled the bandage away slowly. His hands were calloused, yet his touch was gentle. A light blush covered Sora's face. When the bandage was completely removed, Riku's eyes widened.

"It's...gone..." he whispered in awe.

Sora looked down to see only a large scar where his wound had been. The pain still lingered, but it didn't even come close to what he felt the day before. Riku was staring at him with a suspicious look.

"I don't know?" he said with a shrug. Riku could tell he wasn't lying. He threw the bandages away and started to leave.

"Be careful," he said quietly.

xXxXx

Within days, Roxas had already improved. He had somehow managed to summon Keyblades into his hands during the training session.

"What the hell?" Axel said as he put down his chakrams to investigate.

Roxas stared at his hands, not knowing it was impossible for Nobodies to wield the weapons.

"How did you do that? You even have two?" Axel asked examining the two blades. He noticed the black one was identical to the soldier he had killed. The other Keyblade was the exact opposite. Two silver wings surrounded the grip that had two hearts. The tooth of the blade looked like a blue and yellow snowflake.

"Oathkeeper," Roxas stated.

"What?"

Roxas held up the silver Blade. "This is Oathkeeper." He looked down at the contrasting Blade. "Oblivion."

Axel decided it best to take Roxas to their leader, though he did not like to be disturbed. He led the blond to the large, empty room.

"Master Xemnas, look," Axel said as he held up Roxas' arms.

Xemnas was about to yell at the red head when the Keyblades caught his eyes. A malice grin formed across his face under the large hood.

"Two Keyblades? That is very interesting," Xemnas said as he circled the blond. Roxas stood still as his leader walked around him, examining the Keyblades. Axel could tell the leader was not suspecting this.

"Axel, continue training him combat. He will need to know how to use them properly. If anything odd happens, report back here at once."

The red head nodded and took the younger Nobody out of the room. He felt something that wasn't quite right. Axel felt something big was going to happen soon. He looked down at the clueless blond.

"How did you do that?"

"I'm not sure. They just appeared in my hands," he said, not looking up at his mentor.

 _A Nobody that can wield a Keyblade...What is Xemnas planning?_

xXxXx

After many arguments, Sora walked out of the medic's building. His strength had come back out of nowhere. His side still stung, but he was learning to ignore it. He felt the need to train.

Hours passed before Riku found Sora. When he had gone to Sora's room in the hospital, he was told Sora walked out without being officially discharged. Riku spent the rest of the time trying to find where his soldier could be. After eating lunch, he decided to check one of the many buildings where trainees went to practice using their Keyblades.

He opened the door and saw the brunet attacking a metal post. Sora had changed into his Forms as he moved. As he got a little closer, he could see the muscles on Sora's arms. They had gotten much bigger and defined since he first laid eyes on him.

"I think that post is dead, Sora," he said as he approached the younger male.

Sora turned around, sweat covering his face. He went into his normal form and lowered Oblivion.

"Train with me, Captain. I have to get better. I need more practice. Fighting this post is stupid. It doesn't move and it doesn't attack back."

Riku lifted an eyebrow as he observed the determination in Sora's face.

 _That look...It's rather...tempting..._

"Sora, you need time to rest. When I think you are ready, I will practice with you."

"I am ready! I need all the practice I can get in. I need to get stronger, Captain Riku."

The captain didn't respond and started to walk away. Sora pointed his Blade at the Captain, feeling the anger flow through him again.

 _The captain thinks you're weak, Sora. I bet he's planning on transferring you._

Sora charged towards the captain only to be swiftly thrown against the wall. Riku held his arm against Sora's chest, leg separating Sora's. Sora gasped from the rough impact against the concrete wall. Riku's face rested right in front of Sora's. He watched as the gold that appeared in his eyes disappeared again.

"You need to control yourself, Sora."

 _You're one to talk...The look on his face is just asking for it..._

Riku shook the voice inside his head away and removed his leg.

"I would prefer if you did not rush me with your Blade again unless I command it. I am not above beating my students into the ground to prove I'm right," he growled and released the cadet. Sora fell to the ground while Riku left the building.

Riku kept his fists clenched as he started towards his own sleeping quarters. The captain slammed the door to his room shut as he walked into a cold shower.

 _It's been a while hasn't it, Riku? How are you just going to deny your desire to rip the uniform off and take Sora? You know it was the same face you gave to me all those times._

"Shut up!" he yelled, throwing his fist into the wall. Xehanort's voice laughed in his head until Riku turned the shower off. He continued to ignore his urges and finally decided it was best to take a nap. He threw on a pair of pants and went straight to the bed.

 _"Riku, don't you want me?" Sora teased as he slowly took off his own clothes. Riku couldn't hold it in anymore. He threw Sora down on the bed and let his breath hit the male's neck. Riku could feel Sora shiver beneath him, only exciting him more. The captain brushed his hands against Sora's skin, feeling each muscle. He nibbled on the soft skin causing Sora to give off a small moan._

 _"Captain, please..." Sora whispered as he moved Riku's hand to his waist._

"Captain," Sora said, knocking on the door.

Riku instantly sat up, feeling the heat on his face. He threw a blanket over his waist and commanded Sora to come in.

 _Jesus, you have bad timing,_ Riku thought to himself, trying to calm his emotions.

"I uh...just wanted to apologize for earlier. I don't know why I feel so angry now."

Riku let out a sign and rubbed his temple.

"It's okay, Sora. That's normal for a lot of people after their first time out in the field."

 _It's not normal for people, however, to just magically gain the ability to change their eye color..._

Sora nodded and saluted before taking his leave. Riku let out a sigh of relief. The urge had gone away finally.

xXxXx

A week passed before Riku's squad was able to train again. They met up in the training yard like before, just two short.

"We're all that's left of our team," Riku started. Olette and Sora looked down at their feet. He always hated having this conversation.

"I need to get you guys ready by three days. They're sending us out to investigate the Nobodies."

Olette gave Riku a panicked look. "There's only three of us! Five of us couldn't even survive them! Are they planning on giving us people to go with us?"

Riku shook his head. "They're not replacing Dilan and Isa. New recruits are getting harder to find as well. However, they are sending a few other squads with us. We're all going to separate at the gate and meet back in a couple days. With just two of you, I can focus on you better."

The captain assumed Master Form and summoned two training Keyblades. Olette and Sora looked at him in awe. It was rare to see someone able to control Master Form.

"Let's begin," Riku said and rushed at the two cadets. Olette quickly assumed Wisdom Form while Sora went Valor. They continued training until the end of the day. Sora had noticed Olette had improved considerably. Her movements were almost flawless.

"Dead," Riku muttered as he tapped the training Keyblade on Sora's head.

Riku went into his normal form and made the Keyblades disappear.

"Dismissed."

Olette looked at Sora and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"It's okay, Sora. Tomorrow we'll get him."

xXxXx

Axel read the paper given to him by another member of the Organization. He turned to Roxas with a groan.

"I guess we'll be heading out soon. Are you excited?"

Roxas shrugged.

"I don't know what to expect."

Axel rolled his eyes. The blond still hadn't completely woke up yet.

"Just remember everything I taught you. If anything gets in our way, destroy it. With your Keyblades, that shouldn't be a problem."

Roxas nodded. At least Axel would be going with him. He felt...happy...when he was around the annoying red-head. Roxas was ready to prove to Axel that he could handle himself. He had spent the last week following Axel around just to have something to do.

Axel handed a familiar blue ice cream into Roxas' hand.

"I always eat one of these before a mission. I feel like it brings me good luck."

Roxas tasted it and enjoyed the salty and sweet mixture. He smiled at Axel, who smirked.

"Thought you'd like it," he stated with a chuckle as he ate his too.

 _He smiled. He actually smiled,_ Axel thought to himself, feeling a new emotion flow in his body.

* * *

 **End Note: Thank you for reading! As always, I'd love to read what you thought on the story. See you next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary:** In a world destroyed by the Heartless, Sora enlists in the military to fight the every growing enemy. Between the mental and physical battles, Sora struggles to survive. As secrets are unearthed, Sora realizes he's in serious trouble. RikuXSora AxelXRoxas M for later chapters.

 **Author's Note:** Well, it can't be too bad if you've made it this far right? As a warning, this chapter has quite a bit of angst! **This chapter contains a trigger as well as abuse. You have been warned!**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

The next three days were brutal for Riku's small squad. After the first day, many other squads decided to watch the battle between Riku and his cadets. While it annoyed Riku, Sora and Olette felt more determination to defeat their leader. They did not stop for lunch and pushed as hard as they could. On the third day, Riku decided it best to make them stop early.

He knocked Olette's and Sora's training blades away and made his own disappear.

"You guys were getting really close to getting me. Take the rest of the day off. There's no telling when you'll be getting free time again."

Riku dismissed the group and realized he forgot something.

"Wait, we need to head over to General Ansem. He wanted to meet with us today."

Olette and Sora exchanged confused looks then left for the military leader's large office. When they got in, they were awed by how big it was. Luxury was not something a lot of people had these days.

The entire squad saluted while Riku took the lead.

"General, you wanted to see us?"

The tall silver-haired man stood from his chair after pulling something from his desk. He walked to soldiers who were still saluting. First, he went to Olette and pinned two new accolades on her uniform jacket.

"Congratulations, Corporal Olette."

He moved to Sora and pinned the same pins on his jacket.

"Congratulations, Corporal Sora.

Then he went to Riku and pinned two different pins to his jacket.

"And to you, Major Riku."

He stepped back and saluted the three soldiers.

"You three have made an important discovery when fighting the supposedly extinct Nobodies. You all have depicted your bravery out there by yourselves as well as shown your dedication in your training. I know you leave tomorrow morning with Major Rai's squad. Anything you find out there will be incredibly helpful to our research team. I hope to see you when you get back. Dismissed."

The squad walked out with the excited Olette breaking the silence.

"Woah! Major Riku! Did you know about this?"

The new major shook his head with a grin. He could tell the team was excited at their promotions.

"Not at all, though I am glad you guys moved up the ranks. I'm proud of you."

Olette and Sora high-fived as Riku rolled his eyes. He led them out of the large building before departing. Though he loved his team, he really needed some alone time.

Olette went to meet with some of her other friends. She invited Sora to join her, but he politely refused. He also wanted his alone time, by pacing around the entire base.

He stopped by the cafeteria and got sweets that he had been craving for a while. He hadn't had them since before graduating. Sora began to eat the salty, but sweet, ice cream as he started back to the sleeping quarters. He knew Olette wouldn't be there while he took the time to think about everything. Sora pulled out an old textbook on the history of Nobodies and began to read through it until a loud thud came from the Major's room.

"Shut up!" Riku yelled as a crash echoed through the building.

Sora closed his book and finished his ice cream.

"That's weird...Who's in there with him?" he asked himself as he started towards the slightly opened door. Sora peeked in and saw Riku gripping broken glass in his hand, blood falling to the floor.

"Major?" he asked stepping into the small room. Riku didn't move and instead stared at the shattered glass on the ground. Sora stopped right in front of him and reached for his hand slowly, unsure of how he was going to react. The brunet gently grabbed his hand and took the glass from his grip. He pulled a small healing pack he always carried on him. After cleaning the cuts and removing the small shards, he bandaged the hand. Sora turned to pick up the glass from the floor and saw blood dripping onto the ground. He followed the drips to the Major's forearm.

"Major!" he exclaimed as he worked on cleaning the multiple cuts on the opposite arm. He noticed there were already scars under the cuts. Riku said nothing the entire time. He sat the officer on the bed while he cleaned up the mess.

"Thank you," Riku whispered.

"It's no problem, Major," Sora said as he threw away the pieces of a mirror. He sat next to Riku and patted him on the shoulder.

"If you want to...you know, talk...I'm here," Sora said unsure what else to do. He could tell Riku was feeling uncomfortable and decided not to press the matter. Sora stood. "I'll be in the sleeping quarters if you need me." Riku grabbed the brunet's arm to stop him.

"Wait," he softly said. Riku couldn't look at Sora's face. He had felt the shame and embarrassment since Sora walked in the room. He had no idea he had been in the room next door.

Sora sat back down on the bed and waited patiently while Riku struggled to find where to start.

"I've been surviving my entire life," he started with a big sigh. "My step-father was the brother of General Ansem. When I was a child, he was already a Colonel. My mother had died after getting sick. It wasn't long after, he was always angry. He had always been very...physical with me."

xXxXx

The eighteen year old Riku winced as he wrapped his broken arm. Xehanort was asleep at the table holding an empty bottle of whiskey. The bruises on his face were going to be difficult to explain if anyone else saw them. He had hoped Xehanort would be out of the house, but he wasn't.

The General had given them the house when Riku's mom died. It was very large for the two of them, yet Riku's room was bare. He had a small bed to sleep on and a pile of clothes that were in the closet.

Riku sat on his bed as he heard shuffling around and knew his step dad was awake. Xehanort opened the door and walked in, still drunk. The smell of whiskey made Riku nauseous.

"I'm sorry about last night, Son. I just don't know what I'd do if you left for the military. It's just you and me."

Riku knew where the conversation was going and tried to slip away from Xehanort. The Colonel gripped the boy's arm as hard as he could. Riku winced, but refused to let a noise escape his lips.

"I love when you look at me like that," Xehanort whispered pulling the defeated boy to him.

XxXxX

Riku paused, unable to describe what happened next. Sora figured it out and knew better than to push the matter. It was weird to be comforting his Major.

 _I guess everyone has their problems._

Riku swallowed, trying to continue as he closed his eyes.

 _Why am I telling Sora? I'm his Major and shouldn't be showing myself like this._

xXxXx

Xehanort stood and threw the empty bottle at Riku. It shattered as it fell to the ground, causing the step-father to be angry. He forced the male to clean it up, then wash his filth away.

Riku cleaned the glass. He hurt everywhere. A large piece of glass lay in front of him. Riku made sure Xehanort wasn't watching when he grabbed it. Once he was in the bathroom, he stared in the mirror. Riku couldn't even recognize the person in the mirror. His face was swollen and purple as was the rest of his body.

 _You're not even a person. You're disgusting. Weak._

He wanted the thoughts to stop. Xehanort's voice echoed through his mind as he stared at the glass in his hand. Riku put it to his wrist and began to dig the sharp edge into his skin. The sharp pain from the glass eased his tormenting thoughts.

 _Is this really your escape?_

"Yes," Riku muttered to himself as he focused on his forearm. Blood dripped to the ground.

Weeks passed and the abuse got worse. His step-father had been put on suspended leave for misconduct towards other officers. Riku found it difficult to sit down once Xehanort had his way. He kept the gashes hidden under the bandage on his broken arm.

One night after being forced to have rough sex with the officer, he slowly made his way to Xehanort's bathroom. A bottle of pills sat where they had always been kept.

 _You're giving up?_

Tears ran down the teen's face as he reached for the bottle.

 _"Hello? Colonel? You home?"_

"I can't do this any more." _Knocking._

 _"I need to talk with you, Brother."_

He dumped the entire bottle in his hand and swallowed before he changed his mind.

xXxXx

"Then what happened?" Sora asked in shock.

Riku scoffed. "Obviously, it didn't work. General Ansem found me on the ground and immediately got the medics. I spent a few months in one of our treatment facilities. Xehanort is still sitting in the prison after being convicted of his own brother. The General asked me to join since I had nowhere else to go, so here I am."

Sora frowned and looked down at his boots. He was unsure of the feeling he had. Was it anger or sadness? The brunet brushed his hands on Riku's bandage, trying to sort his thoughts. He realized Riku wore wrist bands every time Sora saw him and let out a sigh.

"I'm not proud of it," Riku muttered. "And while I regret it, I know I'll probably do it again. I feel like Xehanort is always there. His voice is constantly in my head. I've watched countless die in front of me. There's not a single day that goes by where I don't think of them. I'm a mess," he said with a small chuckle.

Sora didn't laugh.

"I can't tell you what to do, Major. However, I would hope that you would talk to me if something happens again. I'm no expert when it comes to people in your situation, but I can let you get it off your chest and avoid...this," Sora said as he held up Riku's hand. He looked right at Riku's aquamarine eyes. "You're not just our Major. You're our leader and we need you more than you think. You're not alone."

Riku wanted to look away, yet Sora's bright blue eyes forced him to hold his gaze. They needed him and he needed to be strong. Shame flew through his body at the full realization of what he had been doing. He had let Xehanort win, but no more.

"Thank you, Sora," he whispered.

xXxXx

Roxas looked at his surroundings. The vibrant greens of the trees made him want to go blind. It was his first time outside of the Organization's hideout. Everything had been silver, white, or black...except for Axel's hair.

Axel pushed Roxas off the last stair with a laugh.

"The ground's not going to kill you. You better get used to this. We're going to be out here a while," he said as he walked pass the blond. Roxas followed behind Axel and took in the feeling of the uneven ground. The fresh air felt different to him while the sun made it difficult to see.

"It's okay, Roxas. You'll get used to it. I find it rather relaxing, if you ask me."

 _It does feel...nice..._ Roxas thought to himself as a slight breeze went by.

"So what exactly do we have to do?" the blond asked.

"There's these people who are...bad. We're working on exterminating them, but need to observe what they know and what they're capable of. They're different from us. We got word that a few squads are being sent out soon. Our job is to watch and, if the need arises, take them out."

"What are they like?"

"They look like us, but they have the ability to feel emotions. However, that is their weakness. Their fear and sadness often make them mess up on the battlefield. From what we can tell, their main focus is on releasing and collecting trapped hearts from the Heartless. Got it memorized?"

Roxas nodded as Axel continued.

"Last time I was out, I released a few of the Nobodies. You should have seen the look on their faces! From what I could tell, they thought Nobodies didn't exist anymore. Boy, are they in for a surprise!" Axel said with a laugh.

xXxXx

Dawn approached as the two squads packed for their mission. Both squads joined at the gate. The other squad was made of more people, but they looked terrified. Sora wondered if other squads trained like they did.

"Alright, you two. They're taking the east, and we're taking the west. If we run into trouble, we are to send fire into the sky to alert one another. Remember that in case we get separated and something happens. With Nobodies running around, we're going to have to watch out for them and the Heartless. Unfortunately, guards report active Heartless near the gate. Be on the watch and stay together. Separation is what they want and with only three of us, it'll be difficult to aid each other that way."

Olette and Sora nodded, already gripping their Keyblades.

 _No more deaths,_ Sora begged. If he had to watch Olette or Riku die, he wasn't sure what he would do.

"Let's go," Riku said as the gates began to open. The two majors nodded at each other, then immediately separated. Small Shadows flew from the trees before they got far. They were an easy target compared to the Snipers and Dusks.

Hours went by as they walked. Only small Heartless kept appearing. There had been no signs of any Nobodies. They managed to stop to eat after clearing an area.

"No telling when we'll be able to eat again, so make sure you fill up," Riku stated as he leaned against a tree. The group ate in silence, still cautious. Sora wanted to make sure Riku was doing okay, but didn't want Olette to question anything. He felt slightly awkward around Riku, scared that something might set him off.

When they finished, they started to head north after looking at a marked map. They could see the other squad should only be a few miles to the east. Riku folded the map and shoved it in his jacket pocket. Weak Heartless began to disappear as a few Soldiers began to emerge. It was still no contest between the Nobodies.

Night came fast and the squad decided to rest. Riku helped Sora and Olette set up their sleeping bags and handed out small rations.

"I'll take the first watch, Sora will take second, and Olette third," the major said as he leaned against a tree. It didn't take long for Sora and Olette to fall asleep. Riku circled the small camp site. The cool wind managed to make its way through the trees causing a small shiver to go through him. He liked when it was cooler. Between fighting, carrying supplies, and walking, it took a lot of of them.

Riku allowed Sora to sleep a little longer before he went to get him up, but the brunet was already waiting for him.

"Just make sure no Heartless sneak in on us. Keeping watch should be self-explanatory," Riku said as he slid into his sleeping bag. Sora nodded and began to follow Riku's trail, marked by his footprints. Sora enjoyed the time to himself. He paused on his third pass and looked down at Riku. The Major looked different with a calm expression. Sora had never seen Riku relaxed and it took him off guard. He smiled to himself and kept patrolling.

As Sora was about to wake Olette up, a small _pop_ echoed through the air. Riku sat up and saw the small ball of fire.

"Let's go!" Riku yelled as he grabbed his sleeping bag, shoving it in his small pack. The others did the same and followed, all in Wisdom Form. They reached the trail of smoke with disappointment.

No one was there.

"Where are they?" Olette asked, observing the area. Riku walked around looking at the ground.

"It doesn't even look like anyone was ever here," he muttered.

The trail of smoke began to dissipate leaving the group clueless at what to do. They looked around for signs of anyone being there. Nothing.

Just as the team was about to leave, someone emerged from the bushes.

"Isa?" said Olette as she froze with surprise in her eyes. The blue-haired male stood in front of them with a smirk on his face. His body covered by the cloak, he lifted up a silver sword and swung it into the unsuspecting Olette.

"Olette!" Sora yelled as he dragged the girl back while Riku swung his Keyblade at Isa.

"I saw you die. Who are you?" Riku demanded. Isa blocked the attack and countered. Riku dodged the large claymore.

"The name's Saix," he said before disappearing into the darkness.

"Major!" Sora yelled as he held a bleeding Olette. Blood dripped from her mouth while she coughed.

"Hold on, Olette," Riku said as he cast healing magic over her wound. Sora kept pressure on the wound with wide eyes. She was already dead.

"We can just take her back to the base!" Sora yelled at his leader, denying her death.

Riku had seen this many times and knew when to stop.

"Sora...she's gone," he whispered.

"So was I! We can still make it!" Sora yelled, putting the lifeless girl on his back. Riku put his hand on Sora's shoulder.

"You were still hanging on by a thread, Sora. She's gone."

Sora brushed Riku's hand off and began to head towards the base.

 _Not her. I can't lose her too. She saved me. I still owe her._

Riku walked in front of Sora to block his way.

"Sora, put her down. We have to find the other squad."

"No!" Sora yelled, tears running down his face.

Riku pointed his Keyblade towards Sora.

"We still have a mission, Corporal. There are others that might still be alive. Put her down and gear up. That's an order," he commanded. He hated being the leader of a squad. He hated having to say things like this to people he cared about. He hated seeing so many people die in front of his eyes. Most of all, he hated seeing Sora like this.

Sora dropped to his knees as he gently put Olette on the ground. Her body was already growing cold.

"She saved me. I still owed her."

Riku put his hands on Sora's shoulders.

"Then don't go being reckless. I can't lose you both, Sora. Get a grip and help me do this so the deaths of our friends won't be in vain. I need your help in finding out what happened and who the hell this _Saix_ is. Get on your feet and fight!"he said as he stood wielding his Keyblade. Anger filled Riku as he stared at the dried blood covering his hands.

Sora wiped the tears away and equipped Oblivion. As he stood, Nobodies circled around them. A mixture of Dusks and Samarai blocked their escape. Sora felt the rage build up instantly. He gripped the Keyblade as it consumed him. Riku turned to issue a command and saw the gold in Sora's eyes.

"Shit!" he said as he watched a shadow fall over Sora. Sora lunged at the Nobodies with speed Riku had never seen before. He twisted in the air, taking out most of the Nobodies. Riku decided not to question it until the enemy was dead. He killed a few dusks and realized Sora had taken care of the rest.

"Sora," he said softly. Sora turned with a jerk and flew at Riku. The major stopped the attack and backed away from the brunet.

"Sora! You don't want to do this. Snap out of it!" he yelled unsure if it was to survive or to get Sora back to normal.

The gold eyes held no recognition as he went in for another attack.

 _I can't keep this up. He's moving way too fast for me!_

Riku fell down after blocking an intense hit. Gasping for air, he knew it wouldn't be long.

"Sora, please," he managed to say through his breathing. He looked straight into Sora's eyes. The brunet stopped and lowered his Keyblade. It fell to the ground beside him. Riku caught Sora as he dropped to the ground, eyes closed.

xXxXx

Roxas took out the last soldier, but not before he got the fire in the air. The blond yanked Oathkeeper from the large male. He wiped the blood from it and went to Axel. The red-head laughed and patted Roxas on the back.

"Beautiful work, but we need to get rid of all of it. I'm guessing that was some type of alarm and no telling when someone might be coming along. Where's Saix?" he asked, looking around.

Saix had already disposed of all the bodies and started on cleaning the tracks.

"You should quit talking and focus on what we're doing," Saix said glaring at Axel.

"And you should learn to chill out a bit," he said removing the last piece of evidence. He heard people running towards them.

"Pull back a little bit. Let's see what they have to say," Axel said grabbing the other two Nobodies. It was painful watching the squad look for clues. Finally, Saix had enough.

As they fought, Roxas froze at the sight of the soldier with the light brown hair.

"Axel...that guy..."

Axel turned from Roxas and looked at the brunet and realized who he was.

"He should be dead!" Axel said.

Roxas stepped from behind the tree and started to walk towards the squad. Axel pulled him back.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" the red head hissed.

Roxas pointed to the soldier again. "He looks just like me," he said as Axel took a closer look. His jaw dropped. They could have been twins.

 _Is that how Roxas came to be? And they called Saix, 'Isa'. What is going on?_

Saix walked back the other two and grinned. "That should keep them busy for a while." Axel rolled his eyes and summoned Nobodies. Saix had a lot of arrogance for not being much older than Roxas.

"Why did Xemnas send you with us?" Axel asked as he tried to piece everything together.

The blue-haired Nobody shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe combat experience? I didn't dare question him."

Roxas stopped them and exclaimed, "Look!" He pointed towards the small squad. Saix and Axel watched as the soldier transformed and attacked most of the Nobodies, then proceeded to attack his team mate.

"Well, this is interesting," a cold voice said. Xemnas emerged from the shadows and watched the fight.

"Do you know what is happening?" Axel asked, unable to take his green eyes from the two.

"That boy has been consumed by the darkness. This is rare," he muttered, then turned to the other Organization members.

"Saix, come with me. Axel. Roxas. Follow them until they reach their base. Report back immediately. Don't be afraid to give them a little pressure with the Nobodies," he said then walked away. Saix followed, leaving Roxas and Axel to watch the soldier fall to the ground.

"Axel, what do we do? He's back to normal."

"We do exactly what the boss said to do," he said in an unsatisfied tone.

xXxXx

"Thank God," Riku growled as Sora began to wake. The sun was high in the sky. Sora realized Riku was carrying him and jumped off his back.

"What happened? I just remember the Nobodies surrounding us."

Riku narrowed his eyes. "You really don't remember? You went insane and took out most of them. Has that ever happened before?" he asked leaving out the part where Sora attacked him.

Sora shook his head. "No, I still don't really know what you're talking about though."

The two reviewed the map and knew they were hours away from the base and knew that Heartless would still be wandering. Sora followed Riku, ashamed of how he had acted when Olette died.

"I'm sorry, Major Riku. I shouldn't have acted like that."

Riku snapped at him, bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep compared to the energy used.

"You think?! I know, more than anyone, what it's like to fucking lose people. It sucks, Sora, but you can't let it get to you every time someone dies or you'll end up dead too. At least you don't have to be the one responsible for everyone's deaths. Come on, let's go."

Sora followed, but came to an abrupt stop as Nobodies and Heartless stood in front of them. Riku groaned and took out his Keyblade. He was running off adrenaline and knew they needed to get home before he became a hindrance. Sora stood back-to-back with the male as the enemies began to surround them. Riku knew he didn't have enough energy.

"Sora, we have to get back to the base. I can't keep going like this!" he said, running as he killed anything in front of him. Sora took up the rear and killed anything that tried to get beside them. Sora felt extremely weak and could barely keep up. Riku kept dragging him by the arm as they got closer to the gate. Just as they broke the border of trees, the enemies disappeared. The two put their hands on their knees as they gasped for air. They had ran and fought for two hours straight. One of the squads that guarded the gate, escorted them back inside.

Sora turned and looked behind him. He thought he saw himself in the shadows, but dismissed the stupid idea and walked with Riku to the General's building.

* * *

 **Send Note: This would have been uploaded days ago if I wasn't juggling work (40 hours in 4 days), playing KHIIFM (again), and playing Kingdom Hearts Unchained X. I think it's KHUX? I don't know! Haha Anyway, favs and follows are greatly appreciated. However, nothing makes me happier than when I see reviews! Hope you liked!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary:** In a world destroyed by the Heartless, Sora enlists in the military to fight the every growing enemy. Between the mental and physical battles, Sora struggles to survive. As secrets are unearthed, Sora realizes he's in serious trouble. RikuXSora AxelXRoxas M for later chapters.

 **Author's Note: Yay for backstory? Thank you for all that has sent me PMs, reviews, and followed/favorited this :D A pretty graphic scene incoming.**

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 _Sora sighed as he stared at his notes. History had been a class he struggled with despite it being rather interesting. It was a class they were forced to take every year they trained._

 _Kairi grinned at him as she handed him her notes. They were much more organized than Sora's scribbles. He looked down and began reading her notes._

 _'The Heartless were first spotted over a hundred years ago according to records found in the Old World. Their power quickly grew, outmatching normal humans. Select people were able to wield a Keyblade, the only weapon that can destroy a Heartless. It was only fifty years ago that the Heartless ravaged everything, leaving nothing in their path, but darkness. One man was able to find the solution in unlocking the power of the Keyblade. He shared it with others allowing the Keyblade Corps to come to life. Throughout the years, we were able to learn about Forms that had been lost for many years. There's four Forms in all, but most can only use two. Valor Form allows one power to grow if they focus their energy into it. Even rarer, some are able to wield two Keyblades in this Form. Wisdom allows those to move with better speed, hovering through the air. Those that specialize in magic use this Form the most since the energy is put towards the wielder's casting. Master Form is a combination of both Valor and Wisdom, but the wielder must direct twice as much energy to accomplish this Form. Anyone that can use this Form is also able to wield two Keyblades. Those who can use Master Form can usually only hold it for a few minutes. There are very few people able to use Final Form. While it is much like the Master Form, the wielder uses the energy to telepathically uses the Keyblades. This Form is generally used only in extreme situations. There have been reports of soldiers dying from overusing their energy in this state.'_

 _Sora scrolled to the end of the notes, not remembering learning this in class earlier._

 _'One last Form has been recorded, but only once. Darkness consumed this person, causing him to gain extreme speed and power. With no control over himself, he killed everyone around him and later killed himself. Nothing else is known and no one has been able to activate it to this day.'_

 _"Sora, shouldn't you be copying my notes so I can study them too?" Kairi asked as she planted a kiss on Sora's cheek._

 _Sora laughed and replied, "But your notes are so much better than mine, Kairi. Oh, but you're missing the notes on the Nobodies and Unversed."_

 _Kairi rolled her eyes as she handed Sora more pieces of paper._

 _"Here. You're lucky they don't focus on them too much since they're extinct."_

 _Sora nodded and skimmed quickly over the notes. He always wanted to know as much as possible._

 _'The Unversed are an ancient creature, living before even the Heartless. Not much is known about them since their origins are so old. They work similar to Heartless and Nobodies, but had fewer known species. With the help of a leader, they were able to destroy most of the Keyblade Wielders at the time. However, they were locked away and exterminated due to the sacrifice of one Wielder.'_

 _He realized that no pictures of Unversed were ever recorded. Sora wondered what they looked like before moving onto Kairi's paragraph about Nobodies._

 _'Nobodies were the opposite of Heartless. Most moved much faster and were very fluid in their attacks. We are unsure of why they went extinct. We do know they had one person controlling them and when he died, they disappeared. He kept a small journal of the many Nobodies he controlled. Pictures can be found in the classroom textbook. Common Nobodies include Dusks, Dancers, Snipers, and Samurai.'_

 _A frown formed on Sora's face. The classroom was locked for the day, blocking him from looking at the pictures. Books had become hard to get, so no one had complete access to all the information when needed. Without any other way to look anything up, Sora stood and left the room. On his way out, he noticed an old book titled 'Nobodies' that was covered in dust. No one had touched the book in ages. The brunet looked around and saw no one in the room. He quickly took the book and hid it under his uniform jacket before heading back to his room for the day._

xXxXx

The sleeping quarters had never seemed so big to Sora. The silence made it hard for him to relax until Riku walked in the room. The two had just reported to their General about their mission and still had no idea of what happened to the other squad.

Riku stopped in front of Sora, dirt and dried blood caked on his skin. Sora looked no different.

"Why didn't you finish the mission?" Sora dared to ask. It had been on his mind since the General questioned them.

The Major sighed and knew he was referring to the command with Olette. "I thought it was still possible with two of us. We could have found out more about the Nobodies and offered more answers. However, after you going crazy, I couldn't carry you and look for clues with the expectation to survive."

Sora nodded and stared at his boots. Riku offered a hand to Sora. The Corporal just blinked at his leader.

"Sora, my bedroom is more comfortable than this. Why don't you go rest in my bed for now. It's been a long time since you've slept in a bed."

The brunet grit his teeth and took a step back towards the door.

"Our entire squad is dead and you want me to sleep?" Sora grabbed a book from his storage box and tucked it under his arm. "They all have to be eliminated, Major. I'll be studying my ass off until every last one of them is dead!" he yelled as he stormed out the door.

Sora felt the heat in his face as he threw himself on a bench and began to read.

 _Why now? Why did Isa come back, but called himself Saix? And then right after Nobodies appeared? This book has to have at least one fucking answer._

He turned the page and froze as he looked at his hand. Olette's blood still covered his skin. Sora looked up and noticed Kairi standing a few feet away with shock on her face.

"Sora?" she said, unsure if this was the same boy she had dated not long ago.

 _I haven't even cleaned up...I can't even imagine how much blood I have on me._

"Yeah," he muttered as he shut the delicate book. Sora was suddenly aware of how tired he was and felt a small pang of regret for not taking Riku's offer.

"What happened? Oh my God! You weren't part of the crew that left were you?"

"Yeah," he managed, unable to look at Kairi. Sora stood and walked pass her without another word. Others began to stop and stare at him and didn't know why until he got back.

He stood by the running shower, staring at a mirror. Dark rings circled his eyes. His spiky hair was more of a mess, matted with blood. His face were covered in stains from dirt and blood. He wasn't even sure if he was looking at himself. Sora looked much older from the stress and the battles. He wondered if Riku had gone through the same transformation as he let the warm water wash away the muck. After getting his skin back to the normal color, Sora stepped out with a towel around his waist and cursed himself. He had forgotten to grab his casual clothes from the wooden trunk.

Sora walked out of the small bathroom, he went towards his trunk. When reaching for his clothes, he observed the scratches and scars that already covered his arms. Sora's arms were much more toned than they had been weeks before. He didn't feel any stronger. The soldier actually felt weaker.

"Are you going to put on clothes or try to seduce me?" Riku said as he leaned in the doorway with a smirk on his face. Sora turned and saw the same rings around Riku's eyes.

 _Were they always there? How many battle scars does he have?_

Sora brushed away the thought as he realized he still hadn't retrieved his clothes. Riku walked over and opened the trunk for him with a small smile.

"You look like shit."

Sora raised an eyebrow as he grabbed a set of clothes. "Yeah? Have you seen yourself?" he retorted.

Riku laughed and observed Sora's body. It amazed him at how fit Sora had gotten in such little time. Almost no ounce of fat remained since it had been replaced by muscle. Sora noticed Riku looking at him and blushed.

"Is that offer still open?" Sora asked, closing the trunk.

"Sleeping in my bed? Yeah, if you want it, you can have it. I never minded sleeping on the ground."

"I think we can fit two people on there," he said, instantly wishing he would have reworded it. "I mean, you could use some rest too. We've gone through a lot and if we're going to be needed in the future, we need our sleep."

Riku smirked. The panic in Sora's voice enticed him. He got uncomfortable close to his subordinate with a raised eyebrow. "You don't want to sleep with me? Think I'm not good with guys?" he teased.

Sora choked on air as he gasped. More panic flew into his words. "No-I mean-You...I wouldn't know. I just thought that since...It's your bed and I don't hog space. I mean-"

"Sora, chill. I was just playing around," Riku said, giving the flustered male space. He stood and walked to his room, but stopped at the doorway. "I'll be waiting for you." He turned and saw the blood rush to Sora's face, coloring his cheeks for the first time in a while.

 _Glad to see you haven't turned into a monster, yet._

xXxXx

Roxas stared at his reflection from the Keyblade. He frowned at himself and made the Keyblade disappear.

"I know you're there," he said as he turned towards the tall door.

Axel slowly opened the door with a large smile.

"Your hearing is pretty good. I just got done reporting everything to Xemnas," he said while sitting on the bed next to the blond.

"What did he say about that boy?" asked Roxas. It had been bugging him since the moment he saw the soldier. He knew Xemnas had to know something.

"Sorry, Rox. He had no idea why you resemble him. He didn't even offer an explanation for Saix."

Roxas stood up and walked to the tiny window across the room. "And you believe that?" he asked with grit teeth.

Axel laughed and followed Roxas. He patted him on the back then tilted Roxas' head with his hand. Axel loved those blue eyes.

 _It's a shame they always look so lost._

"I never said I believed it, Rox. He didn't give me any information on where you or Saix came from. If it makes you feel any better, I've been here for years and I still don't know where I came from or how I even got here. Why don't we go for a walk?"

Roxas rolled his eyes and snapped his chin away from the red-head's hand. He felt frustrated, an emotion he often experienced.

"Fine," he stated, walking out of his room. Axel trailed, then led Roxas outside of the large building. Once outside, Axel looked down at his friend with a sigh.

"Now that we are away from unwanted eavesdroppers, I'm going to tell you where you came from," he whispered. He knew Xemnas had been listening from the small mics hidden in the room.

Roxas smirked and realized that Axel had been keeping secrets after all.

xXxXx

 _Xemnas wandered around a large bare room until Axel walked in, lowering his hood._

 _"You wanted to see me?"_

 _Xemnas smiled with a nod. Axel had proven to be quite useful. He always did as he was told and did a good job on top of that._

 _"Axel, what do you think is wrong with this hideout?"_

 _The younger Nobody looked around with a shrug. "I'm not really sure."_

 _Xemnas chuckled. "There's just four of us here. You, Demyx, Xigbar, and myself. We need more people if we plan on defeating all of the Keyblade Corps. Sure they're not as strong as we are, but their numbers are making this difficult. I need you to find someone capable of producing a Nobody for the Organization. You know how to find them right?"_

 _Axel nodded. "Their aura is silver."_

 _"Correct. When you take the person out, a new Nobody should be waiting when you get back."_

 _Axel left immediately. It only took two hours to find a squad._

 _"Looks like I'm in luck! Doesn't look like they're that experienced," he whispered to himself eyeballing the silver glow from the soldier._

xXxXx

"So, you have to kill them to make us? Then why was that guy alive? And Saix?"

"Honestly, I don't know how he's alive, because it's obvious he died since you're standing right here. I didn't get a good look at the entire squad I sent the Nobodies on, but I'm guessing Saix was the blue-haired soldier. I didn't see the glow though, so I'm not sure why he's here."

Roxas kept his eyes on the ground as his mind couldn't keep up with the thoughts.

"Why am I the only one with the Keyblades?"

Axel shrugged and ruffled the shorter male's spiky hair. "I have no idea, but my guess is that it has something to do with the fact that kid is very much alive."

A sigh slipped pass Roxas' lips. He hated the amount of information he didn't know. Just as he began to grasp something, something else popped up to confuse him. Axel stopped walking and jabbed a finger in the blond's shoulder blade. "Don't let this get to you too much. Xemnas will know something is up if he doesn't already. Besides, we just have to trust him. He took us in, gave us a home and a reason to live. With your Keyblades, I'll put money on you being his right hand man soon. He'll probably tell you most of what you want to know by then. Got it memorized?"

"Maybe I don't want to rise in the Organization. I'm not... _unhappy_ of where I stand now. Besides, I wouldn't get to be around you."

The words caused a tug in Axel's chest-something he hadn't ever felt. His face flushed and he quickly looked away in case Roxas suspected something.

"I have to admit, Rox, it's been a bit more fun running around with you. However, don't let me hold you back from doing better," he replied and began to head back to the big castle.

Roxas smiled when Axel turned around. He loved his nickname Axel had made for him. It made him feel unique. Walking in his friend's shadow, he followed him back never letting his smile leave his face.

xXxXx

Riku groaned as he yanked the sheet towards him for the third time. Sora had fell asleep instantly, hogging the bed and the covers. The major managed to slide Sora to his side of the bed without waking him. With room allowing him to stretch, he closed his eyes and followed Sora into dreamland.

 _Death. Everywhere._

 _Riku looked around him and realized he was surrounded by his previous squads. All had a pained expression on their face. Dilan stared at him with a hole on his forehead. Blood dripped down his face and onto the ground. Riku followed the trail and realized he was ankle deep in the blood of his comrades._

 _"I'm sorry," he whispered while Isa reached for him with his blood-soaked hand._

 _"You let us die. You ran to Sora while I got my body ravaged by Nobodies. You wanted me dead."_

 _"No, I...I didn't. I thought you would be okay. I didn't see the others."_

 _Olette turned to him, body nearly in half from Saix's attack._

 _"If only you had been the leader I thought you were. You didn't even see an enemy right in front of us. You can't even do what you taught us to do," she rasped._

 _A hand reached out and grabbed Riku's leg in the rising blood. He looked down and saw the four cadets from his previous squad._

 _"You ran while we were sacrificed to the Heartless. You only care about yourself. How can you call yourself a captain?" said the one male grabbing his leg. Their faces were hardly recognizable through the mauling from the Heartless._

 _"I didn't. You were already dead before I left. I couldn't take them all on."_

 _A girl scoffed as blood oozed from her mouth. Riku recognized her from the first squad he led._

 _"How could they let a monster like you become a leader? You froze as we all fought. You never taught us shit!"_

 _Riku opened his mouth as the panic became overwhelming. The blood rose to his waist and each person he had known verbally attacked the major. A hand touched his shoulder and he turned to see his mother staring at him. He only knew it was her from the pictures he had always kept._

 _"You killed me, Riku. If you would have had the courage to grab the doctor, I would still be there."_

Riku's eyes shot open. Sweat fell from every pore on his body. The sheets were soaked where Riku had been. Cursing himself as he sat up, he put fingers on the bridge of his nose and squeezed. No matter how often he dreamed of the deaths that surrounded him, his nerves were shot. The major slid out of the bed and walked to his desk, opening the large drawer. He pulled out a small bottle of whiskey and took a shot to calm his nerves. He hadn't had a dream with his mother in it for a while.

 _You killed her, Riku. It's a shame that fear conquered whatever you felt for your mother. Did you even love her? She needed you more than ever and you watched her slowly die._

Riku walked to the bathroom and shut the door. He ran cold water in the sink and washed the sticky sweat from his face.

 _You watched her slip away after being sick for days; too scared to leave the house all because I would beat you to a bloody pulp. I suppose it's okay though. She knew I hit you, yet did nothing. I guess she didn't love you either._

The scene of his mother's last days played through his head like a movie. Bruises covered his small body as a result of leaving the house. Xehanort always threatened him to not tell anyone unless he wanted to be killed in the worst way possible. While he hadn't said anything, Riku just went out to grab cough syrup for his mother. His father happened to be walking down the same path at the same time. A shiver went up Riku as he remembered the amount of punches and kicks that had been given to him that night. He cowered in the corner and refused to leave unless he had to eat or use the bathroom.

Grabbing a small dry towel from a pile, he wiped his face and stared at himself in the mirror. He looked much older than 23. Years of stress was finally catching up to him.

 _You are never going to find a family, Riku. You're broken now._

A knock went across the bathroom door, snapping Riku back to reality. He opened the door to see Sora standing in front of him.

"Just making sure you're still okay," Sora muttered through his sleepiness. He looked up at Riku's face and frowned. The anxiety just emitting from the major. "Did you even sleep?"

Riku gave an uneasy chuckle, realizing Sora had still been in his bedroom.

"It's really hot in here today and I can't sleep when it's like this."

Sora nodded and said, "Yeah, your side of the bed is soaked. Thought you might have went in the shower and laid down right after. Anyway, I have some things I'd like to get done today if you'll allow me."

"You're dismissed," Riku stated in a ragged voice. He watched Sora leave then sat at his desk. "I should go for a walk today. Fresh air might do me some good," he muttered.

Sora groaned as he headed to the doctor's office. This was the third time in the last two days where the pain in his side has flared. He winced as he tried to walk without holding it. "I've got to go see Dr. Leon. Sora slowly made his way to the doctor's office. "Hi, Leon. I know I don't have an appointment, but I don't know when I'll be shipped out again."

The doctor smiled at him and gestured to the empty chair in front of his desk. "What can I help you with today, Sora?"

Sora shifted uneasily in his seat. Doctors always made him feel uncomfortable, though he never knew why. "I know my side looks like it's already healed, but every once in a while I feel a sharp pain. It wakes me up a lot and I'm just worried that if it shows up on the battlefield...well, I don't think it would end well for me."

Leon nodded as stood from his chair. "Let's take you in for a scan first and go from there. I'm still trying to figure out how that healed so fast."

The two walked down the hallway up a flight of stairs into a large room filled with equipment. Leon stopped in front of the largest machine and told Sora to get in a gown. After changing, Sora went and laid down on the machine Leon still stood in front of. Loud humming noises echoed around him. Leon could see Sora feeling very uncomfortable.

"It's okay, Sora. Just a few more minutes," he said through his microphone. Sora was perfectly still as he held his breath for most of the scans. As the humming stopped, Sora exhaled and got from the bed. Leon gave him a thumbs up before waving Sora to meet him in the small room. He grabbed a print and examined it in front of the soldier.

"It doesn't look like anything is wrong in there. Actually, it almost looks like there was never a gash there. I'll take some blood samples from you, though the results are going to be a while if that's okay."

Sora sighed and shook his head. "No thanks. Like I said earlier, I'm not even sure when I'll be back. Is there anything you can give me though in case it flares up again?"

Leon went to a large medicine cabinet and grabbed a small bottle filled with tiny white pills. He handed it to Sora after writing the instructions on the blank label. "Take ONLY one when it flares up. It might not give you immediate relief, but it will kick in eventually. Unfortunately, it may make you a little drowsy, but I think you'll be able to handle it."

Sora shoved the bottle in his jacket pocket and shook the doctor's hand.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to see you if anything else happens," he reassured the doctor as he head for the exit.

"Just be careful. I know they put you in the highest risk line and not a lot of people make it past mission two."

Sora stopped without looking back. "I know, Doc," he said as he left the building.

* * *

 **End Note: Sorry this chapter was a bit shorter with little Axel and Roxas. However, the next one should make up for it! As always, I'd love to read what you thought on the story. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary:** In a world destroyed by the Heartless, Sora enlists in the military to fight the every growing enemy. Between the mental and physical battles, Sora struggles to survive. As secrets are unearthed, Sora realizes he's in serious trouble. RikuXSora AxelXRoxas M for later chapters.

 **Author's Note: Couldn't help, but to get this chapter done and uploaded. I have a lot to do this week so I'm not sure if I'll be able to update as much. Of course, I will still try!**

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

Roxas frowned as he walked through the base of the Keyblade Corps. The moon and stars provided the only source of light with exception of the few lights left on in various buildings. Axel looked around with a smirk.

"Sure isn't much," he said looking down at a nodding Roxas.

Xemnas had sent them to meet with their contact. It was the first time either had been in the base. Lucky for them, their contact had provided an easier access by giving them their uniform. Both felt uncomfortable in the new clothes as they had been used to their cloaks. The gravel barely made noise under their light steps. They had been instructed to find the prison in order to find the contact that had given them the details.

Roxas stopped in front of a large building and pointed at the door.

"This is it," he whispered as he grabbed Axel's wrist. Axel flinched at the touch, surprised by how gentle yet firm it was. He looked at the building and agreed. "Let's go," Axel replied, leading the way.

As they approached the door, two guards stopped them. Axel looked at them and showed them his high ranking insignia on his jacket. "We have orders from the General to talk to one of the prisoners." The guards looked down at Roxas and saw the same insignia on his jacket. They opened the door allowing the two Nobodies to proceed.

"I see you two made it," came a deep voice from the last cell.

Axel and Roxas stopped to see a silver-haired male sitting in the dark cell. Roxas wondered how this male could be their contact when he was clearly locked in the cell. No windows and dim lighting made it difficult to see anything.

"I take it you're Xehanort?" Axel asked as Roxas stood behind him. The blond felt uneasy being around him and felt something not right with the silver-haired male.

A small laugh echoed through the empty halls as gold eyes pierced through the shadows.

"That I am. I hope the guards didn't give you any trouble," he said as he stood and walked to the bars blocking escape.

Axel shook his head, green eyes never leaving the prisoner. "No, they fell for it immediately, though I don't know how long we can talk before they suspect something." Axel felt chills run down his spine as Xehanort paced. He wanted to leave as soon as possible and could tell Roxas wanted the same thing.

"I have a lot of information for Xemnas. Please make sure you listen very carefully," he whispered as an evil grin appeared across his face.

xXxXx

Roxas and Axel left the prison and decided to walk around the base. Not many guards were posted, so they had a rare chance of being caught.

"This is going to be a mess," Roxas growled shoving his hands in the pockets of his pants. He was still absorbing all the information they were just told. Axel shrugged and felt the excitement would be good for them.

"I don't know, Rox. I think it'll be a nice change for once. Besides, anytime I get to use my flaming chakrams is a good day," he said with a smile.

Roxas stopped and looked at the buildings surrounding them. He could almost see the daily lives play before his eyes. With a sigh, Roxas looked up at the bright full moon.

"Axel, maybe I don't want to fight. What makes them any different than us? They're just trying to survive like us," he said as he turned to his partner. Axel could feel a tightening in his chest as the bright blue eyes met his gaze. The reflection from the moon made them irresistible.

"I told you, they're releasing all the trapped hearts from the Heartless and using it for themselves. They didn't always trap them, though. Xemnas said they only started doing this a few years ago. Our job is to figure out why they're doing it."

Roxas shook his head. "These guys just do as they're told, Axel. I don't think they even know why they are doing it. Everyone we've passed has been very clueless and almost... _scared_...or something," he said as he continued walking down an alley. "I can just feel like they want to live without the thought of dying crossing their minds everyday."

Axel reached out for Roxas' hand without thinking about it. Roxas turned to face Axel as a blush covered his face. Axel didn't know why, but he loved that Roxas was capable of caring so much. He felt like it was an emotion he had lacked, yet it was something he wanted to experience it more. Confusion spread across Roxas' face as he waited for Axel to respond. The red head pulled him closer as a calm smile crossed his face.

"These people are our enemies and yet you care for them so much," he said in a soft voice. "What am I going to do with you?"

Roxas couldn't take his eyes off Axel. A new unfamiliar feeling heated his body. "I...just...I mean I care for you too," he managed to stutter.

Axel smirked as he put a hand under Roxas' chin. "I don't know if I believe you," he whispered in Roxas' ear. The blond jumped as Axel's breath touched his skin.

"W-Well, you should."

Axel gave Roxas a small nibble on his ear. "Prove it," he said moving down the neck. Roxas gently pushed Axel away, unable to look at him.

"N-Not here, Axel. We need to head b-back first," he said through a strained voice.

 _This is going to be fun,_ Axel thought as they headed back for their home.

xXxXx

Riku threw the papers on his desk as he slammed a fist into the wood. Sora peeked through the door and could tell Riku was ready to murder someone.

"Riku?" he said in a hesitant voice while opening the door wider.

"They still don't have any troops skilled enough for our squad, Sora. We're also running the front lines in a fucking mission we leave for tomorrow. I'm wondering if we're the only fucking squad they can send out to fight."

Sora walked up and frowned at the major's hand. Blood began to make its way to the surface of the bandage from the impact of the wood. Before Riku could say anything, Sora had already gotten a small first aid kit. Riku knew Sora wouldn't leave him alone until the cut was fixed so he just sulked while his hand was being treated.

"Are you even capable of holding your Keyblade?" Sora asked, disinfecting the cut.

With a wince from the sting, Riku looked over at his main Keyblade. "I'll be fine, Sora. It's no worse than usual on the battlefield."

Sora finished cleaning the cut and bandaged his hand. He wasn't sure how to react to the news of already having to leave again. Riku saw the uncertainty on his comrade's face and decided it best not to run drills.

"Take the day off, Sora. I'm sure there's not much more I can teach you anyway," he muttered.

"I think you have plenty to teach me, but if you say so. I could use another day without swinging my Blade. Leon gave me some vouchers for some free ice cream. Want to come with me?" Sora asked as he stood from the small stool he had been sitting on to reach Riku's hand.

Riku chuckled. He hadn't had an invitation like that in a long time. "Sure," he said as he put his boots on his feet.

They walked out to the small ice cream stand and grabbed their free sea salt ice cream. As they sat at a nearby table, they noticed a lot of activity around them that was out of the norm. Riku started to listen to the other soldiers running around them.

"I can't believe we're all getting shipped out. Why so many people? This Heartless must be huge!" said a soldier, swinging his Keyblade in rigid movements. Sora could tell it had been a while since he had to even summon his Keyblade.

"I know, they're sending out a total of twenty squads out there! Most of them have never even been past the gate. What the hell is going on?" replied the first soldier's friend.

Sora turned and saw Kairi walking in a panic towards him, fear covering her face. Riku inhaled sharply to prevent unnecessary words from leaving his mouth. The sight of the girl instantly sent anger shooting through him.

"Sora! They're sending my squad out tomorrow! Please, I don't know what to do! We haven't even practiced our fighting since we graduated. What am I going to do?" she said through a panicked tone.

Sora, still holding the ice cream in his hand, shrugged. "I don't know what you're going to do either. There's nothing I can do to help you. Go practice with Seifer." It was odd for him to sound so cold, yet he still felt betrayed by the girl.

"How can you just abandon a girlfriend you've been with for years?" she asked waving the summons paper in the air. Sora turned his back to her and continued to eat his treat. Riku was curious if the brunet would actually stand up for himself, so remained silent. When Sora didn't respond, Kairi grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face her. Sora shoved her hand off of him and stood. His patience with her was running out fast.

"Kairi, we are no longer together. In fact, _you_ made that very clear. There's nothing I'm going to do to help you so you're just going to have to get used to it. Now, let me enjoy my ice cream in peace," he said sitting back on the bench.

Kairi bit her lip as a flash of anger went across her face. She slapped the ice cream from Sora's hand. "You're such an asshole! You don't even care if I die. I bet that's why you don't care about your dead teammates!"

Sora stood up and threw a fist into the bench to prevent it going to Kairi's face. "I'm done with your bullshit, Kairi. I told you to stay the fuck away from me. You have no idea what I've fucking had to go through since graduation...since I caught you with Seifer. I'm sorry if you've been focusing on fucking him more than continuing your training, but that's not even close to my fault nor my concern. Until you hold a dying squad mate in your fucking hands, don't you dare talk to me!" he yelled and brushed pass the girl. Many soldiers had been watching the spectacle and pretended to go back to their business. Riku walked up to Kairi, anger clearly visible.

"How petty of you to care about only yourself. You didn't even say 'hi' to him or ask him how he's been. You are disgusting and I don't think you will make it very long in the battlefield," he growled as he went after Sora.

"Sora!" Riku yelled out as he caught up to him. Sora turned around as a hint of gold flashed across his eyes that Riku managed to catch.

"Calm down. Don't worry about her, dude. Come on, let's head back to our sleeping quarters," Riku said, practically dragging Sora back before he got too angry. When they reached the building, Sora collapsed on Riku's bed. It had been routine for the two to hang out often since they were all each other had.

"Sorry, Riku-I mean Major Riku!" he said looking at his leader. Riku sat beside his friend and shoved the ice cream in Sora's mouth.

"It's fine, Sora. Look, how about when it's just us two, just call me Riku?"

With the ice cream bar still in his mouth, Sora nodded then took a bite. "Here, this is yours," he said handing it back to Riku. The major shook his head and told him he was done.

"Sweets aren't really my thing anymore," he said with a chuckle. Sora rolled his eyes and shoved it back into Riku's mouth. With a laugh, Sora replied, "Seriously, if you ate them more often you might enjoy them."

Riku raised an eyebrow and finished the ice cream. "I know you just want to give me a taste of you."

Sora's face flushed red. "W-W-What are you talking about? N-No, I just thought y-you'd like an i-ice cream." Sora's chest filled with butterflies as Riku laughed.

"Why do you get so nervous? I'm just joking. Have a drink with me," he said, walking to his desk drawer containing whiskey. Sora turned wide-eyed as Riku poured Sora a shot.

"Have you ever even had alcohol before? Are you even legal?" he asked handing Sora the drink. He didn't care whether or not he was legal to drink. Riku had always felt once a soldier has been on the battlefield in the front lines, they are entitled to a lot more.

Sora grabbed the shot glass with a scoff. "Yes, I am thank you very much! But no, I haven't drank before."

Riku raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "We're changing that. Tonight."

With the bottle empty, the two couldn't contain their inside voices. The heat had forced the two to take off their shirts and jackets.

"What do you mean you've never been in a relationship!?" Sora yelled in disbelief.

Riku rolled his eyes. "Did I stutter? I've never been in a relationship!" Sora scoffed at his superior and slammed back the last shot. "I can't believe it! You're so good looking!"

Riku handed Sora some more water. He didn't want the younger male to have a killer hangover on the morning of their big mission. "Stay hydrated. It's not all about looks, Sora. I'm not exactly sane!" he said, laughing as Sora spilled the water on himself.

Sora poured more water in his cup and poked Riku in the chest. "Who cares!? There's got to be someone that will listen to your story and be like 'You know what Riku!? I want to help you live!'"

Riku groaned realizing he shouldn't have given the brunet so much to drink. He wasn't exactly sober himself, though.

"And you?" Riku asked raising an eyebrow. Sora shook his head and slammed his fist into the table. "Kairi's been the only girl in my life. That bitch! Having the nerve to try to act like everything's okay. It's totally cool now, Riku. I don't give a fuck anymore. Having someone that doesn't understand what I've gone through...what _we've_ gone through... isn't good for us nor them. Let's face it, we're both fucked up. I can't even imagine how you've deal with it all these years. I've only had to deal with it for like a month now and I feel like no one's gonna want someone that can die at a moment's notice on the battlefield."

Riku frowned as he realized Sora wasn't wrong. "You're right, Sora. It's better for us not to get attached to anyone, though that can't always be helped."

Sora laughed and noticed the other staring at him. He felt a tug at his chest, unsure if it was real or the whiskey flowing through his blood. "And by that you mean?"

Riku scooted his chair closer to Sora and finished his last shot. He knew his world wasn't spinning as much as Sora's, but the alcohol had definitely hit him. "Maybe, I have gotten attached to you," he whispered in Sora's ear.

"To me?" he asked, frozen. Riku backed away and shoved his face into his hand to support it. "Don't mind me, Sora. I think we've had too much to drink. I shouldn't have given all of that to you especially for your first time."

Riku stood up to fast and fell. Sora managed to catch him before he hit the ground. "Easy, Major," he said as he pulled Riku close enough to whisper in his ear. "Maybe I've gotten attached to you myself."

Sora steadied Riku and stumbled to the bed, collapsing in the corner of it. Riku stood, shocked at Sora's response, but shook it off realizing Sora was too drunk to mean it. He walked over and performed a medium heal on both praying it was enough to take the hangover away in the morning. Riku slid into bed next to Sora and fell asleep fast. For the first time in a long time, Riku had no bad dreams.

The next morning came too soon for everyone heading out on the fields. Riku's heal prevented the hangovers from hell though both were still a bit tired for staying up so late. They got ready, awkwardness hanging in the air. Riku wasn't sure if Sora remembered much of the previous night, but didn't want to ask.

All the squads lined up in front of the gate before leaving. Sora and Riku were in the very front. Kairi wasn't too far behind him and was deemed a healer for a few different squads, including Sora's. Riku cursed the bad luck, but couldn't hold back a smile at the fear plastered on her face as well as Seifer's.

The gates slowly opened and the squads in the front line took off. It was apparent to Sora that the ones on the front lines were much more experienced than everyone else. They were the only ones to go into Wisdom Form, having enough endurance to last a long time in different Forms. Sora looked over to Riku, Blades at the ready.

"What exactly are we doing?" he asked, confused at the purpose of this mission.

"There was a giant Heartless spotted nearby. I mean massive. Apparently, it's the biggest ever recorded. Took out four full squads of highly skilled officers."

Sora found it hard to swallow at the thought of a lot of officers being destroyed. Riku put a reassuring hand on Sora's shoulder. "There's tons of us. Besides, I'm not going to let you die out here," he said.

It took about an three hours before the big Heartless was spotted. Everyone got into battle-ready stances. The large blue and black Arch Behemoth stood in front of them. The massive Heartless could sense the fear rise in everyone. Sora calmed his nerves as the Behemoth rushed at the force. Shock waves rumbled in the ground sending some of the soldiers off their feet. Lightning was everywhere, hitting many of the squads.

"Sora! Keep in Wisdom! Jump!" Riku yelled as the Behemoth charged at them. The two jumped and landed on the monster's back. They nodded at each other and took off in a coordinated attack that they had come up with when training. They immediately switched into Valor Form and ran at the Behemoth's horns.

"And Now!" Riku yelled swinging his Blades at the beast. It barely fazed the Heartless as they kept trying to hack off the horns. Light began to form and Sora knew what would happen next. He looked down to see Kairi and Seifer frozen in fear. Energy balls filled the sky, falling on many soldiers. Sora could see so many had died from the beast's stomps and couldn't believe that only a few minutes had passed. Others had died from the energy balls and lightning.

"Sora! Don't!" Riku exclaimed as he watched Sora jump off towards Kairi and Seifer. Just as a massive energy ball got near him, a bright light flashed through the air. Riku looked down in horror, heart racing. Then he saw what the light was from. Sora had blocked the attack, standing in Master Form.

 _He unlocked it!_

Sora pushed the energy ball towards the beast as Riku jumped off to avoid the hit. He assumed Master Form as well and ran up to Sora.

"You have a second Blade!" he said with a smile. Sora looked and saw the light colored blade. "Oathkeeper...I told Kairi I would always protect her from Heartless. Come on Riku, we have to bring this beast down!"

The two jumped onto the beasts back again and unleashed a wave of fury from their Blades. The other soldiers unintentionally kept it distracted as Riku took off the first horn, Sora's following right after. The Arch Behemoth fell to the ground, causing Riku to fall off during a massive shock wave.

"Shit!" he yelled. Sora tried to grab him, but missed. The Behemoth balanced itself and found his main target-Riku. Sora couldn't get his Blades through the thick hide. It had some sort of defense around it's skin.

Sora flew off the Behemoth and saw Riku having problems standing up. Just as the Heartless moved in to bite the soldier, Sora grabbed both of his Blades and shoved both into the roof of its mouth as a large tooth went into Sora's arm. Sora landed on his feet as the Arch Behemoth swayed and fell to the ground. Riku had found enough strength and will to pull Sora away into safety.

Kairi and Seifer ran up to the two and immediately started healing. As Kairi was healing Sora, Riku heard a familiar swooshing sound. He looked up to see a flaming chakram pierce through the air heading straight for Sora. Riku flew onto his feet and knocked the chakram away. The other soldiers looked around confused and found a black hooded figure standing next to the Behemoth. He raised a second chakram and threw it at the surprised soldiers. It sliced straight through a few squads. A Keyblade flew in a circle and killed more.

 _A Keyblade? What?_ Riku thought to himself as he looked around. Sora walked up next to Riku in Valor Form.

"That looked just like my Oblivion Blade," Sora muttered as he held up his Keyblade. Riku saw it fly through the air again and realized Sora was right. It was identical to the Oblivion. Riku ran at the hooded figure and realized there was actually two of them. The shorter one had two Keyblades in his hands.

 _They're both exactly like Sora's!_ he said, assuming Master Form.

The shorter one blocked Riku's attack, but not without letting down his defenses. Riku quickly summoned a second Blade and brought it into Roxas' side. The male crumpled to the ground as the taller one ran up to his partner. He threw a chakram at the Major and grabbed the shorter male, blood covering the ground. Before Riku could continue the attack, the two disappeared. Riku turned as he heard a loud gasp from behind him. Sora had dropped to the ground, holding his side.

"Sora? What's wrong?!" Riku asked as he retreated to his comrade. Sora shakily put his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled at small bottle out. He managed to dump one of the tiny tablets into his hand and forced it into his mouth.

"It's...nothing..." he muttered through gasps for air.

Riku grit his teeth. "Quit bullshitting me. What the hell happened?!"

Riku looked down and saw blood on Sora's side. Kairi had already been frantically trying to heal it. Seifer decided it best to stay out of the way.

"I don't know...I...pain in my side every once in a while..."

Riku ripped Sora's jacket off and split his shirt. His wound from the first fight appeared to have opened. "That's impossible! It was healed!" Riku yelled as he tried to keep pressure on the gash. "Kairi! Heal faster dammit!" he yelled at the girl.

Kairi's hands began to shake as blood went everywhere. She froze and Riku finally pushed her away. "Jesus! Get out of my fucking way!" Riku focused his energy and started to heal with one hand and sew the cut closed. The blood made it difficult and soon he needed his other hand. "Seifer, get over here and start casting a heal!" Seifer hesitantly walked over and cast a weak heal.

 _It'll have to do,_ Riku thought to himself as he continued stitching. A few minutes later, the wound was closed and Kairi was crying uncontrollably. Seifer went to go console her as Riku picked the barely conscious Sora from the ground.

"Shut up! Our mission is done and we need to head back before they come back at us," Riku commanded. He ran over to a surviving second lieutenant that he had shared the field with many times.

"Second Lieutenant Cloud! I have to get my soldier back as soon as possible. May I ask you to reform the troops and lead them back. We can't stay here too long," he begged.

Cloud looked at Sora and nodded. "Yeah, just make sure he makes it," he said turning back to the survivors, yelling commands.

"I'm okay, Riku. These pills make me sleepy," he muttered through a voice half-asleep.

Riku growled and continued in Wisdom Form. "You are not okay! For some reason your scar just so happened to open? We're heading back right now to get you checked out by Leon."

Sora put an arm around Riku's neck for better support. "How come you're doing this while no one else does?"

Riku couldn't look at Sora anymore. "Because I told you...I got attached."

Sora formed a smile on his face. "Riku, I think I got attached too," he whispered when replaying the events in his mind. Sora had slightly hesitated in saving Kairi, thinking it would end his own life. However, he didn't have to think about anything when he saw Riku in danger.

Riku sighed. He managed to get back in half the time it took for them to leave. Sora had fallen asleep in his arms. He rushed him to Leon, but during the examination, the gash went back to being a scar. The bewildered Riku couldn't take anymore confusion and walked away as Sora rested.

He had never walked by the prison, in fear of his father, until that day. Riku was close enough to overhear the guards talk in a panic.

"What do we do? The General is going to kill us! How did Xehanort escape?"

Riku froze and felt his blood run cold.

 _I'm coming for you, my Riku._

* * *

 **End Note: Well, I'm addicted to KHUX! I have a hard time balancing my time between my phone, ps3/ps4, and writing. Please review! I love reading all the comments. :) See you next chapter!**


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